Timeline

1960s

1960 | Construction of Famous Tokyo Gate and Lantern

Panasonic rebuilt Tokyo's famous landmark, Asakusa District's Kaminarimon (Thunder Gate) and its huge paper lantern. We also donated two statues of the God of Thunder that stand inside the gate in 1978.

1964 | Construction of Japan's Largest Pedestrian Overpass

Panasonic constructed Japan's largest pedestrian overpass (at that time) in front of Osaka station to ease traffic congestion and insure the safety of pedestrians.

1970s

1973 | 55th Anniversary Donation

To celebrate our 55th anniversary in Japan, Panasonic donated 5 billion yen (US$19 million) to construct and strengthen care centers for the disabled and elderly in each prefecture and 9 major cities throughout the country.

1973 | Panasonic Education Foundation Established in Japan

The Panasonic Education Foundation was established to contribute to education, specifically through the promotion of AV and information technologies.

1975 | First Panasonic Professorship Established in US

Panasonic established the first Panasonic Professorship at Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the US to help support the development of future engineers.

1978 | Support for Japanese American Cultural & Community Center

Panasonic helped provide funding to construct the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center in Los Angeles, California.

1979 | Foundation Established in Indonesia

Konosuke Matsushita and Thayeb Gobel, founder of Panasonic in Indonesia, established the Matsushita Gobel Education Foundation to contribute to the education and welfare of Indonesia.

1984 | Panasonic Trust Established in UK

In celebration of our 10th anniversary in the UK, Panasonic established this grant program to encourage the continuing development of qualified engineers.

1984 | Panasonic Foundation Inaugurated in US

To further contribute to American society, the foundation was established with a US$10 million endowment to help contribute to public education reform.

1988 | K. Matsushita Foundation of EXPO '90(Japan)

The Foundation was established in 1988 to help support the "The International Garden and Greenery Exposition '90," an international exposition held in Osaka to promote the harmonious coexistence between nature and mankind. In commemoration of the exposition, the Foundation continues to promote the concept of coexistence between nature and mankind by annually awarding the K. Matsushita Foundation of EXPO '90 Prize to individuals and organizations based in Japan that have made significant academic achievements and contributions in this area, and holding lectures on environmental themes for the public.

1988 – July 31, 2010 | The Matsushita International Foundation Established in Japan

To commemorate our 70th anniversary, the Matsushita International Foundation was inaugurated to promote mutual understanding between Japan and other countries.

1988 | Kid Witness News Launched in US

Aiming to enhance learning through video production, Panasonic launched this hands-on video education program at 19 schools in 5 cities throughout the US.

1997 | Young Prague Festival Sponsorship Started

Panasonic began sponsoring this annual event held in the Czech Republic that gives young classical musicians an opportunity to debut onto the international scene.

1998 | Panasonic Scholarship Established

To commemorate Panasonic's 80th anniversary in Japan, this program was established to provide scholarships to students from Asia to pursue master's courses in Japan.

1998 | Panasonic Essay Contest Launched in Panama

Panasonic launched its first essay contest for 6th grade primary school students in Panama, inspiring children to write about the future of their nation and other topics. The contest was held for five years.